Donors emerge in Newport News council races

May 01, 2014|By Michael Welles Shapiro, mwshapiro@dailypress.com

NEWPORT NEWS — With less than a month before City Council elections, donors started opening their wallets.

Mayor McKinley Price, who is without an opponent on May 6, nevertheless raked in the most cash donations. He has raised around $41,000 this year, on top of the more than $28,000 he raised in the prior three years since he was elected.

In a five-person race to replace outgoing Southeast Community Councilman Joe Whitaker, three candidates raised significant amounts of money.

Teunsha Vick raised $9,425 from 12 donors, with more than half of that coming from a $5,000 contribution from her cousin, New York Jets quarterback Michael Vick.

Saundra Cherry, who has the backing of a slate of civic and church leaders, raised $5,800 from 71 people. She got a boost in the form of a $1,000 donation from Price and a $500 contribution from former Mayor Joe Frank.

Cleveland Mabry, who has worked on the issue of restoration of civil rights for nonviolent felons, has raised almost $6,100 from 63 donors. The largest of those contributions was $200 from Otis H. Smith Jr., who owns a funeral home where Mabry works part time.

Rounding out the field, Sheryl Holmes about raised $777, and Pete Newman $780, with most of his money coming from a Republican club and a city GOP leader.

The latest donation totals reflect a fund-raising period ending last Friday.

In the North District race challenger Marcellus Harris II raised $4,369, which included a $500 check from Christopher Newport University President Paul Trible.

Incumbent Sharon Scott brought in nearly $18,000. The largest donations were $5,000 from two commercial real estate companies, one connected to the Frank family and the other to Lewis McMurran III.

A third candidate, Keven Underwood raised $400.

Underwood is a former Newport News police officer and his largest donation came from the Southern States Police Benevolent Association.

Though he's running unopposed for a second mayoral term, Price led all candidates by raising $70,000.

Councilman Bert Bateman, who has no challengers as he runs for another term representing the city's Central District, raised almost $26,000.

* An earlier version of this story left the impression that Mayor McKinley Price had raised $70,000 in the last year. He's raised around $41,000 this year, and he brought in more than $28,000 in the prior three years.